Interested in classical Scotish fighters

Benny lynch is the 1st one that needs to be mentioned, for me the best scottish fighter ever and one of the best flyweights.

Benny has a very strange style but one that i enjoy watching, the way he comes in at fighters from all angles, he leaps in, it looks very reckless yet he doesn't seem to get countered. I think it was difficult to time him. His speed is good and power could knock most flyweights out.

His reflexes where very good as well, on the below fight against Jackie Brown fr the world title. At 2.12 look at the way he avoids a punch and then with the next movement comes back with a punch to put brown down. Unorthodox but brilliant.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj2X6-xOMVo&feature=related[/ame]



Unfortunately he was his own worse enemy, at the height of his power he lost it all because he was alcoholic. He died at the age of 33 pennyless and pretty much in the gutter. Could have been one of the best but let his demons get the better of him.

 

Obviously you have Benny Lynch and Ken Buchanan. And Jim Watt to a lesser extent, but most know about them.

But there is Jackie Paterson, who was a great wee Flyweight champion. And Wee Walter McGowan, another Flyweight champion, who by mnay is considered as one of the greatest 'pure' boxers to live but had an awful tendancy to cut, badly.

Apart from our Great champions, there have been other 'Alpha titlists' again keeping our heritage in the lower weight classes, with Paul Weir and Pat Clinton at Light-Fly and Fly respectivly. Both men were skilled boxers but did not quite cut it at the top of their divisions, both curiosly losing their world title to the same man - Baby Jake Matala.

Murray Sutherland and Scott Harrison also held titles, Sutherland was the first ever Super-Middleweight champion. And Scott Harrison was a taleneted WBO Featherweight Champion, who had a long line of defences but never really stepped up, was a strong tough fighter with good technical skills and one of my favrouites.

Apart from our champions we have had other good fighters. Bert Gilroy is a stand out, as he was 'Scotlands best big man'. A short Middleweight who competed up at Light Heavyweight and even Heavyweight. A sharp-shooting type of fighter, he never really got the oppertunities to fight for British titles that he should have. In an era when British titles were very important. He went down as a lost talent really, a sort of Scottish Charley Burley. Also Gary Jacobs was a talented box-fighter but couldnt really get past European level losing to Buddy Mcgirt and Pernell Whittaker at World Level.

Also one fighter, of special note is Johnny Hill. He was the first Scottish fighter to be named as a top 10 contender. He was European Flyweight champion in 1929 and died whilst training for a fight with top contender Frankie Gennaro in 1930. What could have been? Unfortunatly, that is all I know on Johnny Hill, but I really do need to research him.

Scotland has a pretty good history of fighting does it not?

 

We shouldn't mention Harrison in the same post as Buchanan GP, please edit and make a new post for Harrison, haha.

Check out Buchanan vs Laguna if you can Mr. Magoo.

 

Seriously, Harrison was good. Maybe couldnt have beaten the likes of Barrera, Morales, Pacquiao and Marquez but he would have given it a good shot and still would have beaten the guys immediatly under them IMO. Shame he is a raging alckie.

Yeh Buchanan vs Laguna I is the best performance by a Scotsman captured on film IMO.

Also had a look in a book I have, and I beleive Pat Clinton is the only 2 weight world champion that Scotland has. With titles at Strawweight and Light-Fly.

 

Sorry i've just realised you replied to me now GP. I've never watched Clinton, is he quality?

 

No problem, if you need any more info just ask.

I've only seen a wee clips of him, just a tidy technical boxer. Need to get some more footage of him actually.

Also the consensus number 1 Scottish Cruiserweight is from my hometown.

 

Evander McHolyfield?

 

Well there only was one Scottish Cruiserweight. Colin Brown.

 

i rate harrison very tough massive for the weight. would of been a bit of a test for the fab 4 at 126. but could get done over by a solid technician. against the under top 5 he
sadly his whole career was the waiting for the major title shot which never came. the fight with cookie was the haye-macca of the day or khan-mitchell. sad it never came off.

nah not a classical boxer but a solid fighter.



what happend to alex arthur? i know he was groomed like anything and only his decent jab and strong managing got thim the major fights.....but seriously has he retired? getting outboxed by cooke was pretty sure sign he wasnt true world class.

 

Nah he is up at Light-welter and lost his last fight there.

Forgot abotu him, he was a paper champion for afew days

 

Didn't know his name was James.

 

Clean forgot about him. atschatsch

You know anything about Johnny Hill?